Blog: lean startup

At Start Something on Oct. 11, YEI's crash course in the lean startup methodology, students were divided into groups based on their interests and challenged to come up with ideas for new startups. Inspirations included art hostels; customized prescription drugs; authentic, easy-to-eat Chinese food; a service to help companies complete environmental surveys; a clothing line; and even a deer repellent. The teams had time to discuss and present value proposition (the proposed benefits one is providing to a customer) and then to follow up with discussions about customer discovery, both key components of the lean startup method.

YEI Program Director Alena Gribskov who led the program along with serial entrepreneur Kyle Jensen, told the group: "There's no substitute for talking to customers. It can be very anxiety-inducing, because you have to talk to strangers. But until you do, you will not have real data -- you will only have assumptions."

See all the pictures from Start Something on the YEI Facebook page. Interested in joining? Another Start Something session is being planned for November.